Five Tips…for EVERYONE!

By Michael Beiter, CPT

This article has no specific target audience and I feel anyone who engages in physical activity will benefit from these inclusions.  Now when I say anyone, I mean it!  Physical activity by definition is any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in an expenditure of energy.  A big fan of maintaining that lovely garden, are you?  This will help you.  Is vacuuming the house until it is otherworldly clean your main squeeze?  Read on.

I hope some of you who engage in planned physical activity to maintain a fitness level read this, too.  Oh yea, that’s the definition of exercise by the way.

1. Drink more water.  I’ve heard that drinking your body weight in ounces a day is a good recommendation.  Personally I just carry around a gallon and chug a lug every now and then.  I feel a trip to the lavatory every 1.5-2 hours is a good indicator of a proper hydration level.  If you don’t meet these criteria, DRINK MORE!
2. Keep a Journal.  By far the easiest way to improve your life.  If you’re consistent exerciser (weird word), this should already be part of your routine.  Keep track of how you feel during your workouts, after, etc.  Track your weights, sets, reps, and time spent.  Body weight can be thrown in there, but in a future article I will talk about how the scale is a heartless monster that hates puppies.  If you’re simply a physical activist, write about whatever you desire.  Mankind’s greatest achievement is the written word.  Practice it.
3. Find an account-a-bili-buddy.  Also referred to as a training partner, friend, or teammate.  In the gym, having somebody to workout with is indispensable.  If you’re lucky you will find someone who pushes you past your comfort zone, is knowledgeable, and above all, holds you accountable.  Outside of the gym this person actually shows up on moving day, will give without the thought of receiving, and encourages you to be the best version of you there can be.
4. Listen to music.  I can’t speak for everyone when it comes to taste in this category.  Personally I listen to damn near everything.  Music will always have a way of evoking certain responses to the listener and that is unique to the individual.  While I don’t agree that much of what is played on the radio today is actually music, which is a bit out of the scope of this writing.  Now more than ever we have the ability to access the largest library of music in history within seconds.  Generations before us were unable to enjoy this luxury so it would be a civil disservice to not take advantage of it.  When it comes to exercise or physical activity; blast whatever you like and enjoy your time.
5. Slow down.  “The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry.” – Brooks, The Shawshank Redemption.  I haven’t met anyone who said time goes by too slowly and who wishes things would speed up a bit.  In the fitness industry, where I draw most of my experience, it seems that everyone is always looking forward to what’s next – the next meet, show, measurement, etc.  Slow down and enjoy the process that takes you to “what-comes-next”; it’s called LIFE.

There you have it.  Five simple additions to improve whatever it is you do with a bit of a health emphasis.  To truly live well one must incorporate practices to improve not just their body, but mind and spirit, as well.

Live well,

Mike

Have a question or comment for Mike?  Email him at mike@nutrisportfpt.com.

For more information on supplements, nutrition coaching or personal training in Des Moines, Iowa, email ryan@nutrisportFPT.com or visit either our Clive or Altoona locations, where you go for results and not a sales pitch!

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